How Olympic Fencer Miles Chamley-Watson Broke Into the Fashion World

Some people might be content with simply being an Olympian. But Miles Chamley-Watson, who served on the U.S. men's Olympic fencing team in both 2012 and 2016, has other things on his mind, too. The 28-year-old has become an increasingly visible presence on the fashion scene lately, which makes sense: It's difficult to miss his 6'3'' frame, platinum blonde hair, and mosaic of tattoos. Aside from popping up at New York Fashion Week: Men's, he was part of Gap's recent "Bridging the Gap" campaign.

And now he and Alexandra Richards (daughter of Keith; you may have heard of him) are the faces of accessory brand Lokai, which started out making simple silicon bracelets that incorporate water from Mount Everest and mud from the Dead Sea in two beads that are meant to be a daily reminder of the highs and lows of life. The brand launches the second iteration of its collection today with four new, more mature styles and a lookbook to accompany them. We caught up with Chamley-Watson on set to talk about staying balanced, breaking into fashion, and why little kids are starting to embrace his sport of choice.

Nigel Barker

On working with Lokai:

I bought a bracelet in the store. I just liked how it looked, but when I found out the message and met Steven [Izen, founder of Lokai,] it was like, "Wow, this is perfect for me." I started wearing it at the Olympics, and it was my thing. I think being an athlete in a sport that's a little different, always being reminded—as an athlete and a human being—that highs and lows are always coming and going, it's a great way to remember to stay the course and always just be humble.

On getting into fashion:

My mom was a model, and I did a few things when I was younger, but I was always just focused on training and fencing, and playing soccer and other sports. But then I was thinking, "My sport doesn't have as much airtime as other sports; this can be a way to get double." The fashion world really runs the world. Athletes want to be models and models want to be athletes, so for me it's like, "Let's be both." There's no limit to fashion, and that's kind of how I am in my sport. It's a way to show people there are more sports than just basketball, baseball—however many sports there are. And I think kids are really starting to get onto it, which is why I'm in such a good point in my life.

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On becoming a fencer:

I was born in London, and I was playing soccer really seriously, but I moved to America when I was 10 years old. Soccer is the only sport people care about in London, but in America, no one really cared. My school they made me pick an extracurricular activity, like badminton, tennis, fencing. And I'm like, "Cool, I'll pick up fencing. I like Star Wars and all those movies." I tried it and fell in love with it right away, and that was it.

And now at schools, a lot of fashion is inspired by fencing. A lot of designers take inspiration for their clothes from fencing, so I think it's a great cross-over. Only a few sports are considered a sexy sport, and I guess fencing is considered a sexy sport.

On his signature look:

It's so funny, because with my team I stick out like a sore thumb: covered in tattoos, blonde hair. Fencing is considered a luxury sport, which is why I think there are a lot of high-end sponsors, but I think I'm the complete opposite of what you think of when you think of a fencer. Ninety nine percent of them are what you think in your head. And then that one percent, that one person's me. Now kids are coming up to me, like little kids at my club will dye their hair blonde. I got this letter from this kid saying, "I'm cool now at school, because people know who you are." That's sick. That's tight. Hearing that is better than anything else. Because a lot of kids get made fun of like, "Oh, you fence?" But now look at me and look at you. It's simple: be nice and work hard. That's it, that's what it is, and that's how I lived my life.

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